TESTIMONY
Autumn Weintraub, Fast Food Director at 32BJ SEIU, on Enforcement of Fair Workweek Laws in the Fast Food Industry
0:56:25
·
3 min
Weintraub highlights the importance of enforcing Fair Workweek laws to ensure predictable schedules and sufficient hours for fast food workers.
- She represents 32BJ SEIU, a union organizing fast food workers for better pay and conditions.
- Despite the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection's efforts, violations persist, notably by Starbucks.
- Fast food workers face low wages and corporations reap high profits, exacerbating the need for compliance.
- Weintraub calls for a citywide investigation into Starbucks to uphold Fair Workweek standards in the industry.
Autumn Weintraub
0:56:25
Hello, committee Sarah, Julie Menon, and members of the committee on consumer and worker protections.
0:56:31
My name is Autumn Weintraub, and I'm the fast food director at 32 BJSCIU.
0:56:37
SCIU 32 BJ is the largest property services union in the nation with 175,000 members across 11 States and Washington DC, including more than 85,000 members in New York State.
0:56:51
In the past several years, 32 BJ's also been organizing fast food workers to fight for fair pay, better working conditions, and respect on the job, including partnering with Starbucks Workers United.
0:57:03
Through our work, we have become acutely aware of fast food workers struggle to get sufficient and predictable hours in pay, and the challenge of attempting to resolve violations of workplace on a case by case basis.
0:57:15
The Department of Consumer And Worker Protection is critical efforts to implement and enforce the Fair Work law have gone a long way towards improving scheduling standards in the low wage fast food industry and have aided countless low wage workers but violations do persist.
0:57:33
We believe a city wide investigation into Starbucks, the repeat Fair Work Week Viator, can help ensure ongoing and sustained compliance within the company and in the broader fast food sector.
0:57:45
The fast food sector is rife with work place violations and characterized by poor labor standards.
0:57:51
In 2023, fast food workers saw the lowest median weekly earnings of over 350 industry surveyed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a mere $610 a week.
0:58:03
Fastwood Corporations, meanwhile, continue to pull in ever soaring profits.
0:58:07
In 2021, the top 7 publicly traded fast food companies earned $16,000,000,000 in profits.
0:58:14
And paid out over $12,000,000,000 to their shareholders in the form of stock buybacks and dividends.
0:58:20
And the industry has grown rapidly over the past 2 decades, especially in New York city.
0:58:24
While employment in the sector fell during the pandemic, it has again been climbing as the city's economy and employment recover.
Julie Menin
0:58:32
Okay.
0:58:32
I just have to ask because we are required to make sure that every single person has exact same amount of time.
0:58:38
So if you wouldn't mind wrapping up and if you want to submit your written testimony.
Autumn Weintraub
0:58:42
Sure.
0:58:43
I just to we just wanted to say that DCWP has demonstrated itself to be a strong advocate for workers' rights.
0:58:51
It's effectively enforced the Fair Workweek Law, and there's been notable successes and settlements like the Chipotle won.
0:58:59
For $20,000,000.
0:59:00
And over the past year, 83 Starbucks workers have filed fair work week complaints across 63 cafes in New York City.
0:59:10
They're these allegations are widespread.
0:59:15
Across Starbucks, and the company continues to violate the Fair Work Week Off.
0:59:24
In light of the announcement that there is a foundational framework with Starbucks United and Starbucks we still believe even though it's a promising step forward that there needs to be a system wide investigation.
0:59:40
Great.
0:59:40
Thank you.